In common usage, Winchester rifle usually means any of the lever-action rifles manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company of New Haven, Connecticut, though the company has also manufactured many rifles of other action types. Winchester rifles were among the earliest repeating rifles; the Winchester repeater is colloquially known as "The Gun that Won the West" for its predominant role in the hands of Western settlers.
Winchester rifle in Southern Victory[]
The Winchester was the most common rifle found on the US frontier. It was first used in combat by the Tombstone Rangers, the defenders of Tombstone, where it didn't perform as well as the Confederates' own rifles.
The Winchester was also used by Theodore Roosevelt and his Unauthorized Regiment. Roosevelt elected to standardize on it rather than the Springfield Carbine both due to the former's ready availability and superior rate of fire.
